Refrigerating apparatus



Sept. 17, 1929. J. G. KING REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Original Filed Sept.26, 1923 n; v l

y x W In UEHTU? Jesse 521G173 Ber-5 5 a i155 m Reissued Sept. 17, 1929UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JESSE G. KING, OE DAYTON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TOFRIGID- .AIIRE CORPORATION, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE REFRIGERATINGAPPARATUS Original No. 1,588,379, dated June 8, 1926, Serial No;664,810, filed September 26, 1923. Application for V reissue filedSeptember 30, '1927. Serial No. 223,197.

This invention relates to refrigerating apparatus and particularly to)devices for freesing small blocks of ice in household refrigeratingcabinets.

In refrigerating apparatus of this type it is usual to provide afreezingspace or chamber having one ormore openings through which trayscontaining water to be frozen may be inserted in the chamber. Thesetrays are usually in the form of relatively shallow open-top pansdivided into a plurality of cells or ice compartments by crossedpartitions giving a grid-like or checker-board appearance to the panswhen viewed from above. Each tray is usually covered, when in thefreezing chamber, by a shield, forming a part of the evaporator, whichprevents water from dripping into the trays, for example when theevaporator is defrosted. These shields are preferably, but notnecessarily, in the form of sleeves completely surrounding the trays andforming pockets within which the trays are placed. The sleeves orpockets referred to may be surrounded by refrigerantcirculating-conduits forming a part of the evaporator, 'or immersed inbrine, or cooled by the evaporator in any suitable manner. The front ofthe freezing space or chamber maybe closed by a wall in which theopenings referred to are formed, and this wall mayror may not be spacedfrom the shields.

In operation water is .apt to condense on and run down the wall, anddefrosting water is apt to drip from the front edges of the shields orsleeves, and thus get into the trays. It is one of the objects of thisinvention to prevent this condensed water. from entering the ice pans,since it may contaminate the ice, or overflow and freeze the pan to thesleeve. i In case the ice pan freezes to the sleeve by reason .of thecells having received so much water that it overflows when congelationbegins, or if for any other reason ice 1s formed within ithevsleeve insuch position as to ob struct the withdrawal of the ice tray, breakageofthetray handle connections to the pan sis apt to occurswhen' anattemptis madeto withdraw the tray .in order tdharvest the ice.

Another object of this inventionis to enable In the accompanyingdrawings, Fig. 1 is a vertical section through the refrigeratingcompartment of a refrigerator cabinet exposing the refrigerating unit inside elevation, certain portions havlng been broken away to disclose theconstruction of essential features of this invention; and Fig. 2 is ahorizontal section through'a fragment of a brine tank, and a coverplate, disclosing a fragment of an ice trayin plan except that partsthereof are broken away. I

In Fig. 1 the back of the outer shell or casing of a refrigeratingcabinet is indicated by 10, the top of said shell or casing by 11, thefront by .12, and the door of the refrigerating compartment by-13. Thefront frame structure isshown at 14; 15 indicates cork board insulationcemented to the sheet metal lining 16 of the compartment and spaced fromthe casing to form an air space 17; 18 is a chan 'ing back. Said channelbars sustain the bolts 20 which extend downward through holes in the webof the channel and are suspended by their heads from said web. Thesebolts penetrate the cork insulation and the compartment lining; theirlower threaded ends are passed through cars 21 on metallic straps orstirrups 22, which are suspended by nuts 23 on the ends of the boltsbelow said ears, while spacing sleeves 2 1 on the bolts between thestirrups and the ceiling of the compartment prevent any. upward Imovement. The suspended stirrups constitute a cradle or bracketforpositioning the refrigerating unit in the refrigerating compartmentwith ample space for permitting air to circulate around it.

.[n the embodiment illustrated a brine tank is indicated by numeral 25.Within the brine tank, it will be understood, the usual expansion coilis enclosed. The front wall of the brine tank is indicated at 26.Extending inhave open front ends and are immersed in brine.

Ice trays having arelatively shallow pan 29 fit loosely within thepockets-28. The pans are divided into a number of ice compartments 30 bythe grid-like intersecting partitions 31. Spaced from the front of thebrine tank between it and the door 13, is a front plate 32 forming thefront wall of the freezing chamber and preventing access to the 111-terior of the chamber except to enable the ice trays to be inserted andremoved. The front plate may he of metal coated with a porcelain orvitreous enamel, and suitably embossed as at 33 in that part that isopposite the open ends of the ockets 28. In the embossed part 33 areorifices 34 registering with the open ends of pockets 28 andsufiiciently large to permit the trays 29 to .be passed through theminto the pockets '28 or withdrawn from said pockets through the open-1I10S.

Soldered or welded to the front end of each ice panare two bosses 35,which are thus secured to the pan in such manner that no obstruction ispresent on the inside to interfere with removal of ice. The bosses 35are preferably of metal and may be of spool-like formation having theirinner flanged ends secured to the tray by a mass of soldering or weldingmetal as indicated at 36. Both bosses are drilled and countersunk andthe drilled holes threaded as at 37. A flanged tubular anchor bolt 38with a slotted ;head seated in the countersink is threaded into the holein each boss and a slender, fiat-headed machine screw 38 is threadedinto the center of each anchor bolt. The screws 38 pass throughcountersunk holes in the flanges 39 of a looped handle 40, through astop and cover plate 41 and through a separate spacer block 42,preferably of heat insulating material such as wood. inserted betweenthe metallic stop and cover plate 41 and the metallic boss 35. The stopand cover plate 41 is preferably dished, as shown, and its flange bearsupon the front 33 when the tray is pushed into the sleeve. It is of asize and shape to cover the opening 34, preferably has the appearance ofa drawer or tray front and serves not only to close the opening but alsoas a stop and gauge to determine the position of the ice pan withrespect to the pocket andth e front wall 33.

Since the screws 38 are slender, they are of small heat conductingcapacity, and since the spacers 42 are of insulating material, the wholefastening means can conduct very little heat from the handle 40 and trayfront 41 to the tray. Thus the handleand tray front will not ordinarilybecome-frosted.

It will beobserved that in the drawings the front end of the pan doesnot extend beyond, nor even flush with the front of the sleeve 27, butoccupies a position well within the pocket 28. In the position showncondensed water or water formed by melting frost that may drip from thefront of the sleeve will not run into the ice pan, but will drip acrossthe space in front thereof. The bosses 35 and spacing blocks 42 are ofsuch length as to space the front of the ice pan from the stop ,plate 41such a distance that when the stop plate engages the front 33, the icepan will be housed entirely within the pocket. Moreover the bossesandspacing blocks are so shaped and so located with respect to thesleeve 27' that any condensed water which may happen to drip upon themwillimmediately drain off and can neither flow into the pan nor lodgebetween the spacing means and sleeve. This preventing of lodgmentbetween the spacing means and sleeve effectively prevents freezing ofthe pan to the sleeve through the freezing of any condensed water. Inbuilding refrigerator cabinets and installing the refrigerating unit itis likely to happen that the space between the front plate 33 and thefront of the brine tank will not always be the same in each of severalpieces of apparatus. By spacing said stop plates 41 from the front ofthe ice trays a distance greater than the distance between the frontplate 33 and thefront 26 of the brine tank that is likely to exist inany refrigerator, the result will be that the front end of the ice panswill always be well within the pockets 28, in any installation of onetype when the stop plate 41 is pushed against the front plate 33. Thus,by no untoward accident in the course of manufacture will anyrefrigerating apparatus of the same type have the ice pan in position toreceive the drip of condensed water or melted frost from the edges ofthe sleeves or from the front wall of the brine tank when the handle ispushed in.

Although in Fig. 1 the invention is illustrated as applied to arefrigerating unit equipped with a brine tank, it will be obvious, thatit is also applicable to such a unit where the expanding coil is open,ornot immersed in brine. The numeral 26 in Fig. 2 may be assumed toindicate a cover plate in the latter type of unit instead of the frontwall of a brine tank, and the sleeve or tubular member 27 as extendingrearward within the turns of the expansion coil.

In operation the cells or compartments 30 of the icepan will be chargedwith water and the tray pushed into within pocket 28. the tray may bewithdrawn and the ice or so much as may be required removed from thepan. Should the tray be frozen to the walls of the pocket by reason ofoverflow of water from the pan or the freezing of water of condensationwithin the front opening of the pocket, it is possible that the bolts orscrews 38, which are the weakest parts of the connecting links betweenthe handle and the tray, may become broken by the force exerted inattempting to withdraw the tray. If so, they place with the pan seatedAfter the water has frozen,

of fastening have been'used.

may be readily replaced after first unscrewing the anchor bolt 38 bymeans ofa spanner. A new anchor bolt and machine screw may then bereadil fitted, avoiding the necessity of sending the tray to the factoryor to a repair shop as has been necessary where other forms Although Ihave described and shown a preferred embodiment of my invention, it willbe apparent that modifications thereof may be made within the definition'of the appended claims without departing from the principles of theinvention. i

What I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent of the United Statesis:

l. Inqa refrigerating apparatus, a refrig crating unit, a pocket-formingsleeve asso ciated therewith, a tray for receiving'water to be frozenadapted to fit within the sleeve, a front plate spaced from the entranceof the sleeve, said front plate having a tray-admitting opening.registering with the sleeve, a handle connected to the tray and a sto secured to the handle for engaging the rent plate when the tray is-inproper position within the sleeve, the distance between the front plateengaging portion of the stop and the front of the tray being greaterthan the distance between the front plate and the front end of saidsleeve.

2. In a refrigerating apparatus, a refrigerating unit, a pocket-formingsleeve associated therewith, a'tray for receiving water to be frozenadapted to fit within the pocket, a front plate having a tray-admittingopening registering with the sleeve, a handle carried by said tray formoving the same into and for withdrawing the same-from said sleeve, anda stop movable with said handle and tray and arranged to. engage thefront plate when the tray is in proper position within the sleeve, 'thedistance between the front plate engaging portion of the stop and thefront of the tray being greater than the distance. between the frontplate and the front end of said sleeve.

3. In a refrigerating apparatus, a refrigcrating unit equipped with apocket sleeve, an ice tray adapted to fit within the pocket, a bosssecured to the front of the tray, a han clle, a screw securing thehandle to the boss, a separable heat insulating spacingblock surroundingthe screwinterposed'betweenthe handle and boss, and a sto plate movablewith said ice tray and engaging a fixed member to limit the entrance ofsaid tray into said pocket,

4. In a refrigerating apparatus, acabinet havinga refrigeratingcompartment, a refrigerating unit equipped with a pocketforming sleeveinstalled avithin said compartment, a front plate spaced from the frontof said unit, said front plate having on .opening registering with thefront end of-the' sleeve; an ice tray adapted to fit within the sleeve,a

handle, a boss on the front ofthe tray, an externally and internallythreaded anchor bolt secured in the boss a removable spacing 5.Refrigerating apparatus including in combination, a cooling devicehaving a freezmg chamber, the freezing chamber having an 7 opening, anice-making container adapted to be inserted in the chamber through theopening, and a closure for the opening secured to the container andspaced therefrom ,by isolated spacers of insulating material.

6. Refrigerating apparatus including in combination, a cooling devicehaving a freezing'chamber, the freezing chamber having an opening, anice-makingcontainer adapted to be inserted in the chamber through theopen-' ing, and a closure for the opening secu'red'to the container,said closure acting as a stop to position the container in the chamberwith said end-away from the opening.

7. Refrigerating apparatus including in eombination, a freezing. chamberhaving a wall, said wall having an opening, an ice-making containeradapted to be inserted in the chamber through said opening, a stopsecured tothe container and spaced from one end thereof, and adapted tocooperate, with the, wall to position the container in the chamber withits adjacent end away from the wall.

8. Refrigerating apparatus including means providing a freezing spaceand a shield, an ice-making container adapted to be placed in thefreezing space beneath the shield," the container beingfshorter than theV shield, and means projecting from one end of the container bywhich itmay be placed in and-withdrawn from the freezing space, said meansincluding a stop spaced from said end of the container, saidrefrigerating apparatus including an abutment for cooperating with thestop r positioning said end of the container betweenthe ends of theshield when the container is placed inthe freezing space.

9; Refrigerating apparatus 7 means providin a freezing; space I and .a

including sleeve for receivlng-anice-making container,

an ice-making container adapted to be placed in the sleeve, thecontainer being shorter than the sleeve, and means projecting from oneend of the container by which it may be placed in and withdrawn from thesleeve, said means including a sto spaced from said end ofthecontainensai refrigerating apparatus including an abutment forcooperat-- ing with the stop to position said end of the containerbetweenth'eends of the sleeve when the'container placed therein. 1 I YRefrigerating apparatus including means providing a freezing space and ashield, an ice-making container adapted to be placed in the freezingspace beneath the shield, an ice-making container adapted to shield, ahandle attached to the container and spaced from one end thereof, and astop associated with the handle, said refrigerating apparatus includingan abutment for cooperating with the stop to position the adjacent endof the container between the ends of the shield when the container isplaced in the freezing space.

11. Refrigerating apparatus including in combination, a cooling devicehaving a freezing chamber, the freezing chamber having an opening, anice-making container adapted to be inserted in the chamber-through theopening, a handle for the container, a skeleton structure connecting thehandle to the container and spacing it from one end thereof, and a stopassociated with the handle, said refrigerating apparatus including anabutment for cooperating with the stop to position the container in thechamber with said end away from the opening.

12. Refrigerating apparatus including in combination, a cooling devicehaving a freezing chamber, the freezing chamber having an opening, anice-making container adapted to be-inserted in the chamber through theopening, a stop for the container, and a skeleton structureconnecting'the'sto to the container and spacingit from one en thereof, saidrefrigeratingapparatus including an abutment for cooperating with thestop to position the container in the chamber with said end away fromthe opening.

13. Refrigerating apparatus including incombination, a cooling devicehaving a freezing chamber, the freezing chamber having an opening, anice-making container adapted to be inserted in the chamber through theopening, a closure for the opening, and a skeleton structure connectingthe closure to the container and spacing it therefrom.

14. Refrigerating apparatus including in combination a refrigeratingelement provided with a freezing 'chamber having an opening and arefrigerated surface exposed to air located above the freezin chamber,an icemaking-container adapted to be inserted in the chamber through theopening, a stop for the container, means connecting the stop to thecontainer andspacing the stop from one end thereof, said means being soformed as to -perm it-the.passage of condensed water from said surfacebetween the stop and the container, and said refrigerating apparatusincluding an abutment for cooperating with the stop to position said endof the container" within the freezing chamber remote from the opening.

15. Refrigerating apparatus inclnding in combination a refrigeratingelement provided with a freezing chamber having an'opening and arefrigerated surface exposed to air located above the freezing chamber,an icemaking container adapted to be inserted in the chamber through theopening, a stop for the container, means connecting the stop to thecontainer and spacing the stop from one end thereof, said means being soformed and so located as to prevent lodgment of conrefrigerated surfaceexposed to air located above the freezing chamber, an ice-makingcontainer adapted to be'inserted in the chamber through the opening, aclosure for the opening and means securing the closure to the containerand spacing the closure therefrom, said means beingso formed as topermit the passage of water from the refrigerated surface between theclosure and the container.

17. Refrigeratin apparatus including in combination a coo ing deviceprovided with.

a freezing chamber having an opening and a refrigerated surfaceexposedto air located above the freezing chamber, an ice-makingcontainer adapted to be inserted in the chamber through the opening, aclosure for the opening, and means securing the closure to the containerand spacing the closure therefrom, said means being so formed and solocated as to prevent lodgmentof condensed water dripping from therefrigerated surface between the closure and the container.

18. Refrigerating apparatus including in combination a refrigeratingelement provided with a freezing chamber having an opening and arefrigerated .surface exposed to air located above the freezing chamber,an ice-making container adapted to be inserted in the chamber throughthe opening, a stop for the container, means connectingthe stop to thecontainer and spacing the stop from one end thereof, said means being soformed asto drain away from the container any Water deposited on saidmeans from said surface.

19. Refrigerating apparatus including in I combination a refrigeratingelement provided with a freezing chamber having an opening and arefrigerated surface exposed to air located above the freezing chamber,an ice-making containeriadapt'ed to be inserted in the chamber throughthe opening, a stop for the container, means connecting the stop to thecont-alner and spacing the stop from a one end thereof, said means beingso formed as to permit condensed water to drip. freely between the Stopand the container.

20. Refrigerating apparatus including in combination a refrigeratingelement provided With a freezing chamber and a refrigerated surfaceexposed to air located above the freezlng chamber, a Wall in frontrofthe freezing chamber and said surface, the Wall JESSE Gr. KING.

CERTIFICATE or CORRECTION.

Reissue Patent No. 17,434.

JE'SSE G. KING.

d that error appears in the print above numbered patent requiringcorrection as folingvst.5 laim 4 for the word "on" read "an"; page 4,lines 5, an c d the container ds "an ice-making container adapted to"and insert lnstea ,d with b i ng shorter than'said"; and that the saidLetters Patent should be ten case these corrections therein that thesame may conform to the record of the in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this It is hereby certifie 22nd day of October, A. D.1929.

M. J. Moore,

(S 1) Acting Commissioner of Patents.

Granted September 17, 1929, to

ed specification of the Page 3, line 63, claim 10, strike out the 20.Refrigerating apparatus including in combination a refrigerating elementprovided With a freezing chamber and a refrigerated surface exposed toair located above the freezlng chamber, a Wall in frontrof the freezingchamber and said surface, the Wall JESSE Gr. KING.

CERTIFICATE or CORRECTION.

Reissue Patent No. 17,434.

JE'SSE G. KING.

d that error appears in the print reb certifie It is he y correction asfoliow ve numbered patent requiring l tor the word "on" read "an"; page4, lines 5, and 6, cla1n:l the container niords "an ice-making containeradapted to" and insert lnstea la b read with being shorter than'said";and that the said Letters Patent shou e case these corrections thereinthat the same may conform to the record of the in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 22nd day of October, A. D. 1929.

M. J. Moore,

(S 1) Acting Commissioner of Patents.

Granted September 17, 1929, to

ed specification of the Page 3, line 63, claim 10, strike out the

